Circular knitting machine



Fi l e d O 0 t l 5 1 9 35 ALBERT 5. WINTER THOMAS TACmSUN euToRs 2 Avon/n91 Patented Jan. '5, 1937 PATENT OFFICE cmcomn xnrr'rme momma Albert Sydney Winter and Thomas Jackson, Spondon, near Derby, England, assignors to Celanese Corporation of America, a corporation of Delaware Application October 15, 1935, Serial No. 45,016 in Great Britain October 26. 1934 9 Claims.

This invention relates to knitting machines and in particular to circular knitting machines of the type provided with holding-down wheels. Such holding-down wheels are frequently employed in sinkerless machines, especially of the multi-feeder type, the wheel being mounted inside the needle circle to engage the needles just behind the lead-in position for the thread at each feeder. wheel is furnished with nibs meshing with the needles, the engagement between the wheel and the needles causing the wheel to rotate. For this purpose the wheel is freely mounted on a spindle carried by a bracket overhanging the needle circle.

Because the wheel nibs are in constant mesh with the needles, dimculty arises in the operation of the machine because of the failure of the wheels to pass slubs or the like without damage to the needles and/or wheel nibs or to the fabric itself. In addition there is the possibility of flufl or other foreign matter accumulating at the point of engagement of the wheel with the needles.

The invention overcomes the above-mentioned difflculties by the holding-down wheel being resiliently mounted so that when any obstruction occurs the wheel is free to give and so pass the obstruction without damage. For this purpose the wheel mounting may be arranged to slide or pivot in a direction away from the needles, means such as a spring being provided so as normally to hold the wheel in mesh with the needles.

Conveniently the movement given to the slide or other movable support for the holding-down wheel may be used to bring about stoppage of the machine, for which purpose a suitable mechanical or other connection may be provided between the support and the stop mechanism of the machine. 7,

By way of example one form of mounting according to the invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawing. The drawing shows only those parts of a circular knitting machine of known type which are necessary for an understanding of the invention.

In the drawing, the needles of the machine indicated at I are bearded needles having beards 2 and are arranged in a circle which rotates bodily. Surrounding the needles is a stationary member 3 of ring form. Rising from the ring 3 is a column 4 carrying on its upper end a horizontal arm 5 pointing towards the centre of the machine. Mounted on the upper side of the hori- The periphery of each holding-down zontal arm 5 is a sliding member 6 having downwardly extending lugs I which hold it in position on the top of the horizontal arm.

Depending from the end of the sliding member 6 is a shaft 8 on the lower end of which is mountedthe holding-down wheel 9 whose nibs l0 engage between the needles I. A slot H is provided through the ,sliding member 6 and a screw l2 passes through the slot ll into the horizontal arm 5. The head of the screw 1! prevents the sliiling member 6 from rising from the horizontal arm 5 so that the holding-down wheel" is accurately positioned vertically. Two pegs I:

are provided, one on the horizontal arm 5 and one on the sliding member 6, the pegs It being connected by means of a spring ll which is under tension. The spring ll holds the sliding member 6. in an outward position (with reference to the centre of the machine) and the screw l2 engaging with the inner end of the slot H ensures the accurate radial positioning of the holding-down wheel 9 with reference to the needles I.

In operation the holding-down wheel is rotated by the rotation of the needles I, and by the engagement of the needles I with the nibs M of the holding-down wheel. The holding-down wheel engages the needles after yarn has been fed to them and if the yarn should contain a slub or should present any other obstruction to the proper engagement of the holding-down wheel 9, the holding-down wheel is forced inwards by the obstruction, the spring ll yielding to permit this movement. As a result. any injury to the needles or to the holding-down wheel is prevented by the yielding nature of the mounting according to the invention.

What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:--

1. A circular knitting machine comprising a holding-down wheel adapted 'to mesh-with the needles, said holding-down wheel being mounted in such a way as to be capable on encountering an obstruction of moving out of mesh with the needles, and readily yieldable means for keeping the wheel normally in mesh with the needles.

2. A circular knitting machine comprising a holding-down wheel adapted to mesh with'the needles, said holding-down wheel being mounted in such a way as to be capable on encountering an obstruction of moving out of mesh with the needles in a directionsubstantially radial to the needle cylinder, and readily yieldable means for keeping the wheel normally in mesh with the needles.

3. A circular knitting machine having bearded needles and comprising a holding-down wheel readily yieldable means for keeping the wheel normally in mesh with the needles.

4. A circular knitting machine comprising a holding-down wheel adapted to mesh with the needles, said holding-down wheel being mounted in such a way as to be capable on encountering an obstruction of moving out of mesh with the needles in a direction substantially radial to the needle cylinder, and means for keeping the wheel normally in mesh with the needles under the tension of a light spring.

5. A circular knitting machine comprising a holding-down wheel adapted to mesh with the needles, said holding-down wheel being mounted with its axis of rotation substantially parallel to the axis of the needle cylinder and in such a way as to be capable on encounteringan obstrucdirection substantially radial to the needle cylinder, means for preventing axial movement of said wheel and means for keeping the wheel normally in mesh with the needles under the tension of a light spring.

7. A'circular knitting machine comprising an arm disposed substantially radially with relation to the needle cylinder, a member adapted to slide along said arm, a substantially vertical spindle mounted on said member, a holding-down wheel on said spindle, said wheel being adapted to move into or out of mesh with the needles by virtue of the sliding movement of said sliding member, means for preventing axial movement of the wheel, and a light tension spring acting on said sliding member so as normally to keep said wheel in mesh with the needles but to permit said wheel to move out of mesh on encountering an obstruction.

8. In a circular knitting machine having a holding-down wheel engaging the needles after yarn has been fed to them, a mounting for said holding-down wheel, said mounting comprising a horizontal arm extending radially inwards o! the machine, a sliding member mounted on said arm, said sliding member being slotted radially, a stop member extending from said arm through said slot and adapted to limit the sliding motion of said sliding member, spring means for drawing said sliding member radially outwards against said stop member and a spindle on the inner end of said sliding member for the holding-down wheel.

9'. A circular knitting machine comprising an arm disposed substantially. radially with relation to the needle-cylinder, a slotted member adapted to slide along said arm, a substantially vertical spindle mounted on said member, a holding-down wheel on said spindle, said wheel being adapted to move into or out of mesh with the needles by virtue of the sliding movement of said sliding member, means for preventing axial movement of said wheel relative to said sliding member, a light tension spring acting on said sliding member so as normally to keep said wheel in mesh with the needles but to permit said wheel to move out of mesh on encountering an obstruction, and a stop projecting from said arm through the slot in the sliding member, said stop being adapted to limit the sliding movement of said sliding member and to cooperate with said arm in preventing movement of said sliding member in a direction parallel to the axis of the holding-down wheel.

' .ALBERT SYDNEY moms JACKSON. 

